tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106427852017-08-17T06:59:46.728-04:00headsup: the blogThorts and comments about editing and the deskly artsfevnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3006125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-74751524323477628662017-08-14T00:12:00.002-04:002017-08-14T00:23:31.679-04:00Sourcing and mayhem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yZQTjyZKTkI/WZD31mw1mxI/AAAAAAAAIT4/2IJbAlM6A_0RG1VAKukkJxP4hP0pI_knQCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.condemn.2017.0813.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="989" height="271" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yZQTjyZKTkI/WZD31mw1mxI/AAAAAAAAIT4/2IJbAlM6A_0RG1VAKukkJxP4hP0pI_knQCLcBGAs/s400/fox.condemn.2017.0813.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Good to see the Formerly Fair 'n' Balanced Network is on the case <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/13/trump-condemns-white-supremacists-other-extremists-behind-deadly-virginia-rallies.html" target="_blank">as "officials" push back against the Fake News Media</a>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">President Trump specifically condemns “white supremacists” and other extremist groups as forces behind the deadly protests and counter-protests this weekend in Virginia, <u>a White House spokesperson </u>said Sunday.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">That ought to show 'em. Now let's see the quote!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">"The president said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred. Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups. He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together,” <u>the spokesperson said</u> from Trump’s private golf club in Bedminster, N.J.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Oh, no. Would that be another of those anonymous Fake News sources? I wonder what <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/13/politics/trump-silent-aides-charlottesville/index.html" target="_blank">other commercial news agencies say</a>:<br /></span><br /><div class="zn-body__paragraph speakable"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">A White House official, who requested anonymity and ignored attempts to go on the record, told reporters Sunday that it was obvious the President condemned "white supremacists, KKK, neo-Nazi and all extremist groups" despite Trump not mentioning those groups during an event at his private golf club Saturday and instead blaming the violence on "many sides."</span></i></div><div class="zn-body__paragraph"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">"The President said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred, and, of course, that includes white supremacists, KKK, neo-Nazi and all extremist groups," the official said. "He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together."</span></i></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Glad we have that worked out. Meanwhile, though, let's enjoy some other Fox treats. Here, for example, is Saturday evening's top story:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z9JI6QFZT1o/WZEeatNjImI/AAAAAAAAIUI/ng8HrF_KDIUPWS_8UT2r7D5YZaWHemjZwCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.FaceOfMayhem.2017.0812.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="866" height="243" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z9JI6QFZT1o/WZEeatNjImI/AAAAAAAAIUI/ng8HrF_KDIUPWS_8UT2r7D5YZaWHemjZwCLcBGAs/s400/fox.FaceOfMayhem.2017.0812.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">"Face of mayhem," is it? What other faces do you suppose have been spotted lurking around the Formerly Fair 'n' Balanced Network in recent months?</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKXvf14GabE/WZEe3sSnjLI/AAAAAAAAIUM/M_FxkgLhPdMMRPXAUTq0c2ZRhvSytaptQCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.FaceOfHate.2017.01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="872" height="241" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKXvf14GabE/WZEe3sSnjLI/AAAAAAAAIUM/M_FxkgLhPdMMRPXAUTq0c2ZRhvSytaptQCLcBGAs/s400/fox.FaceOfHate.2017.01.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Well, that's hardly fair. Surely it would have been stronger than "mayhem" if someone had actually died!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-luW6GbgzIB4/WZEfiRE2_VI/AAAAAAAAIUU/8jmDkDuwX3cs1ZIKNLnC198fguoSAK3iQCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.TerrorFace.2017.0527.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="418" height="242" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-luW6GbgzIB4/WZEfiRE2_VI/AAAAAAAAIUU/8jmDkDuwX3cs1ZIKNLnC198fguoSAK3iQCLcBGAs/s320/fox.TerrorFace.2017.0527.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">It does seem kind of hard not to conclude that certain skin tones are more strongly associated with "hate" and "terror," doesn't it?</span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-8299110255065970262017-08-13T12:28:00.003-04:002017-08-13T12:30:09.791-04:002 Dacron women feared missing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3OE5Ha0QNcI/WZBz7E3PIXI/AAAAAAAAITM/-W4_VxAz6_Mw7QNeglvhG3PNFiAJuzrvACLcBGAs/s1600/freep.2017.0813.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="805" height="377" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3OE5Ha0QNcI/WZBz7E3PIXI/AAAAAAAAITM/-W4_VxAz6_Mw7QNeglvhG3PNFiAJuzrvACLcBGAs/s400/freep.2017.0813.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">What does it take for <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2017/08/12/detroit-red-wings-alt-right-protest-charlottesville/562000001/" target="_blank">national news to land in the lead position</a> at the Sunday fishwrap?</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The Detroit Red Wings&nbsp;are exploring possible legal action after a slightly modified team logo appeared on signs held by&nbsp;protesters&nbsp;at a violent and deadly white nationalist&nbsp;rally in&nbsp;Virginia on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Oh.</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The signs, which showed the team’s winged-wheel logo spokes altered to look more like swastikas, sparked outrage in the National Hockey League and among social media users.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">I wonder when we'll menti0n the <strike>war</strike> recent unpleasantness. Who had "after the jump, fifth graf"?</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">... <i>The sign holders were among thousands at the volatile Unite the Right&nbsp;rally in Charlottesville&nbsp;to protest the removal of a&nbsp;monument to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. One person was killed and at least 19 injured after a car drove into a crowd of protesters, hours after a state of emergency was declared due to the event.</i></span><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Granted that (a) nobody gets "news" from the Sunday paper and (b) unique content is king, </span>do you think there might still be some value in not looking like One of America's Newspapers?</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zEzD8VYyTd8/WZB4lQLEQHI/AAAAAAAAITc/n2_B2yOVhVUVPnfwzxuh72MWxOx6hgKPgCLcBGAs/s1600/dacron.2017.0813.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="580" height="115" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zEzD8VYyTd8/WZB4lQLEQHI/AAAAAAAAITc/n2_B2yOVhVUVPnfwzxuh72MWxOx6hgKPgCLcBGAs/s320/dacron.2017.0813.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">One more thing. Given that the point in the contract is approaching at which the Freep can offshore its editing, could we ask that you stop trying to make that look so much like an improvement?</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xB5UFFaGJ9g/WZB7ABrKgGI/AAAAAAAAITo/kGlB-AFmz6QG-exTDqYYkqbbhDjGJ-nDQCLcBGAs/s1600/freep.editing.2017.0813.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="271" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xB5UFFaGJ9g/WZB7ABrKgGI/AAAAAAAAITo/kGlB-AFmz6QG-exTDqYYkqbbhDjGJ-nDQCLcBGAs/s1600/freep.editing.2017.0813.png" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">If you're diagramming that last sentence and trying to figure out if Robert E. Lee had arrived to protest the racism, or if the "group" was planning to protest the removal of the "others," <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONFEDERATE_MONUMENT_PROTEST_VAOL-?SITE=RIWAR&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT" target="_blank">this appears to be what the AP actually wrote</a>:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span class="entry-content">The chaos boiled over at what is believed to be the largest group of white nationalists to come together in a decade. The governor declared a state of emergency, and police dressed in riot gear ordered people out. <u>The group had gathered to protest plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, and others arrived to protest the racism</u>.</span></span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span class="entry-content">As with much AP prose, it isn't Shakespeare.* But at least it's not word gazpacho garnished with a misapplied** NYT style rule. Suggestion for the cousins downtown: If you're not interested in treating your readers like adults, please stop helping the folks who actually are.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><span class="entry-content">* And dogs don't know it's not BACON! Thanks, I'll be here all week.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><span class="entry-content">** The Times's <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/tyranny-of-stylebook.html" target="_blank">"false title" rule</a> calls for adding the "the" if you wouldn't use the title to address someone -- as in, unfortunately, "Good morning, General Lee."</span></span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-91847256930877214392017-08-04T00:43:00.000-04:002017-08-04T00:43:07.725-04:00Today in drooling racist paranoia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0s8upgbCisI/WYN19_r3xkI/AAAAAAAAIS4/_gHRUubtCcAeNbMIWdVftExCB8_1soS-QCLcBGAs/s1600/twt.2017.0803.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="99" data-original-width="301" height="131" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0s8upgbCisI/WYN19_r3xkI/AAAAAAAAIS4/_gHRUubtCcAeNbMIWdVftExCB8_1soS-QCLcBGAs/s400/twt.2017.0803.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Shock horror outrage! How bad is it, <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/3/sharia-comes-london-muslim-mayor-bans-sexy-ads/" target="_blank">elite Washington Times "Rapid Reactions" team</a>?</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">London’s Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan declared an end to any kind of advertising in the city that promotes “unrealistic expectations of women’s body image and health,” or, in layman’s, typical Western-style fashion spreads.<br /><br />Sharia, meet London.<br /><br />As the Gatestone Institute notes, this reminds of when ISIS took over Sirte in Libya a couple years ago and immediately set up sharia shop, ordering via billboards for all women to don baggy burka’d robes if they wanted to walk in the streets without, say, getting acid thrown in their faces, or raped.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Well, not quite. What it most "reminds of" is -- how did <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/13/sadiq-khan-londons-first-muslim-mayor-bans-ads-wit/" target="_blank">the Washington Times put it back in June 2016</a>?</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /><i>London’s first Muslim mayor is hitting the ground running with a ban on ads in the city that feature “unrealistic” body images.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">&nbsp;</span><br />Labor Party’s Sadiq Khan pledged before his May 7 election win to prohibit ads across Transport for London (Tfl) like those seen in a “beach body ready?” campaign by the company Protein World.<br /><br />... The decision by Mr. Khan comes just months after the United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) began looking for way to “proactively regulate” images of men and women.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Well, that's at least marginally closer to the truth. As noted by <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-36516378" target="_blank">professional media outlets</a>, of course, it was a ban on body-shaming ads on the Transport for London network (whose ad policies, <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2016/06/today-in-overtly-racist-lying.html" target="_blank">we noted at the time</a>, are <a href="http://content.tfl.gov.uk/advertising-policy-july-2016.pdf" target="_blank">fairly easy to find</a>), not "the city." And there's some flavorful irony in the link the Gatestone Institute* itself uses to illustrate its sharianoid babbling; it's <a href="http://content.tfl.gov.uk/advertising-policy-july-2016.pdf" target="_blank">a column in the Independent</a> headlined "Sadiq Khan is right to ban objectifying ads from the tube -- we never consented to this sexist wallpaper." Much of the adult world, indeed, seemed quite capable of putting this into the general context of how commercial speech is regulated. (Hint: At least he isn't fining anyone half a million dollars for half a second of accidental breast at halftime of the Super Bowl.)</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">But of course that's not why we have deranged race-baiting fishwraps like The Washington Times, is it? Back to today's story:</span><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><i>And it’s not just London.<br /><br />In Berlin, where wave after wave of mostly Muslim migrant and refugee** have swept away much of Germany’s tolerant culture, authorities are planning to implement a ban on images of women as “beautiful but weak, hysterical, dumb, crazy, naive or ruled by their emotions.”<br /><br />Add Paris to the mix — Paris, city of romance-slash-sex, where nudity is practically a cultural norm — and it’s an alarming trend that’s sweeping Europe. </i></span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">“Paris has said au revoir to ‘sexist’ ads on public billboards,” Gatestone reported. “The Paris city council announced its ban after the Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the move meant that Paris was ‘leading the way’ in the fight against sexism.”</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Surely that pesky socialism is the common denominator, then?</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /><i>What’s the common denominator? These cities have undergone radical demographic shifts in recent times, with major upticks in Muslim populations — Muslim populations that bring strict Islamic principles and beliefs.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">But the Left must be to blame for some of it!</span></span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Feminists and the hard left are either silent on these new fashion impositions, fearful and unwilling to buck the Islam tide, or worse, outright cheering, seeing such government-imposed bans as helpful in the fight to show women as powerful individuals, rather than objects of lust. But it’s a rather strange cheer to issue.&nbsp;</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Let's get back to the Gatestone Institute for the wrapup:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><i>... “There is a reason for this grotesque campaign banning these images,” Gatestone goes on. “These cities host significant Muslim populations and politicians — the same who frantically are enacting mandatory multiculturalism — want to please ‘Islam.’ It is now a ‘feminist’ talking point to advocate sharia policy, as does Linda Sarsour. The result is that, today, few feminists dare to criticize Islam.”<br /><br />Indeed.<br /><br />This is not a campaign from smart women, sick of the objectifying that’s been embraced by even those of their own gender in recent times.<br /><br /><u>This is a government-imposed ban based on a rotten anti-freedom religion.</u> And it should raise red flags all across the West. Sharia, whether subtly instituted or government-mandated, has absolutely no place in free societies, and must be fought in whatever form it comes.</i>&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Sigh. It wasn't a year ago, and it isn't now -- but when you're too aroused to bother with the clip files,*** you run the risk of reminding the reading public exactly where on the evolutionary scale you fall. It's almost enough to make you miss the Times's old ownership.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">* Chaired by John Bolton, if you're scoring along at home.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">** Shall we [sic]?</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">*** Hey, have you guys heard of the "Internet"? You don't even have to leave your desk!</span></span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-79560661148012024792017-08-02T15:05:00.002-04:002017-08-02T15:05:50.784-04:00Emergency hyphen drop requested<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UDq30PpGB2U/WYIgW5PiFiI/AAAAAAAAISk/mprSfTvli0QnUrvjMVsyA8FGzmR6Ak8lwCLcBGAs/s1600/cbs.2017.0802.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="700" height="178" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UDq30PpGB2U/WYIgW5PiFiI/AAAAAAAAISk/mprSfTvli0QnUrvjMVsyA8FGzmR6Ak8lwCLcBGAs/s400/cbs.2017.0802.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Sometimes upstyle headlines are their own reward.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">As your students ponder where they would put the hyphen, a friendly reminder that <a href="http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2017/08/01/dallas-zoo-welcomes-rare-somali-wild-ass-babies/" target="_blank">even if your goal is a major-market TV station</a>, those boring old editing skills might come in handy.</span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-26722520563839613112017-07-28T21:24:00.002-04:002017-07-28T21:24:53.089-04:00A date which will live in ... wait, what?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8G34ASylcPE/WXvcK2o5m7I/AAAAAAAAISQ/f-gBB3IhABQ3f1Z_rHqw0uXHodnWmBRpQCLcBGAs/s1600/cd.cut.2017.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="415" height="351" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8G34ASylcPE/WXvcK2o5m7I/AAAAAAAAISQ/f-gBB3IhABQ3f1Z_rHqw0uXHodnWmBRpQCLcBGAs/s400/cd.cut.2017.08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pGhkSHccTPA/WXvbUQEvFVI/AAAAAAAAISM/6p-rdjRseQImB47fhxtIvKpeXY0xSAx_QCEwYBhgL/s1600/cd.2017.07.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pGhkSHccTPA/WXvbUQEvFVI/AAAAAAAAISM/6p-rdjRseQImB47fhxtIvKpeXY0xSAx_QCEwYBhgL/s320/cd.2017.07.png" width="180" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Thanks for letting us know it was "an editor's error," Ohio's Greatest Home Newspaper. Do you suppose it might have made a difference if "an editor" had been in the same time zone as the rest of the paper?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">True it is that we've been putting these on quizzes in the editing class since before there was a War on Editing, because people have been counting the toes and forgetting to divide by 10, or something like that, since more or less the dawn of time.* And equally true that no single error can be causally linked to any single policy or personnel decision. Eventually, though, do you think we might want to pay a little more attention to the correlations?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* Thucydides was unimpressed by the ship tallies in Homer's war stories, because poets. </span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-87359642240958017932017-07-22T16:02:00.001-04:002017-07-22T16:02:22.425-04:00Today's in-depth journalism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1J4FUr0VGEo/WXOfAEpGzzI/AAAAAAAAIRo/1bpwZGBcYyITMt2cTYwhvqUOIF3g-q34gCLcBGAs/s1600/FoxTrump.2017.0722.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1122" height="195" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1J4FUr0VGEo/WXOfAEpGzzI/AAAAAAAAIRo/1bpwZGBcYyITMt2cTYwhvqUOIF3g-q34gCLcBGAs/s400/FoxTrump.2017.0722.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">You almost have to feel sorry for whoever was in charge of turning Massster's morning tantrum into <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/07/22/trump-blasts-clintons-ny-times-fake-news-in-lengthy-twitter-rant.html" target="_blank">a news story at Fox</a>:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">President Trump went on a wide-ranging Twitter rant Saturday morning, bashing Hillary Clinton, “fake news,” The New York Times and other favorite targets.<br /><br />Trump tweeted at least eight times within a one-hour period, focusing first on a Washington Post story, based on unnamed sources, that alleged Attorney General Jeff Sessions talked to a Russian ambassador during the 2016 White House campaign about policy issues and other matters.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">"A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post, this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions. These illegal leaks, like Comey's, must stop!" Trump tweeted. </span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Points for getting "rant" into the lede, I suppose. But if you're waiting to hear what the "nuke commission" has to do with this, keep waiting. (One of the tweets about mid-rant or so does mention the commissioning of the Gerald R. Ford,* but the story mentions neither the ceremony itself nor the propulsion system.) The inside hed avoids that problem, but it still requires some cognitive problem-solving:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VyCsg16xfs/WXOjcytEvUI/AAAAAAAAIR0/g0ZtZDj3RQ0XWg2osR32wLQplGxLE7x-gCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.hed.2017.0722.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="1344" height="63" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VyCsg16xfs/WXOjcytEvUI/AAAAAAAAIR0/g0ZtZDj3RQ0XWg2osR32wLQplGxLE7x-gCLcBGAs/s400/fox.hed.2017.0722.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Only one of the Clintons is mentioned by name in the text, though if you're a regular Fox reader, "big dollar speeches" is your cue.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">If you're wondering why it takes so long to get to the Times, check out the delicate bit of avoidance here:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">... Trump also tweeted Saturday that The New York Times has a “sick agenda” regarding national security and that paper “foiled”&nbsp; a U.S. strike on Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, believed dead for months.<br /><br />“The Failing New York Times foiled U.S. attempt to kill the single most wanted terrorist, Al-Baghdadi. Their sick agenda over National Security,” Trump tweeted. However, <u>to which attack the president was referring</u> and why he singled out The Times <u>was immediately unclear</u>.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">The daintily undangled preposition in "to which attack" is charming. It's been a while since "<a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/immediately-unclear.html" target="_blank">immediately unclear</a>" came up; it still looks like a bizarre reading of the Strunkenwhite mandate to put things in positive form, but syntax is only half the fun. <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/21/isis-broken-but-leader-slipped-away-due-to-leak-says-key-general.html" target="_blank">Other parts of the Fox empire have little trouble</a> identifying the Times's sins:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>In a wide-ranging interview moderated by Fox News' Catherine Herridge, Thomas, who leads the Special Operations Command, said his team was “particularly close” to Baghdadi after the 2015 raid that killed ISIS oil minister Abu Sayyaf. That raid also netted his wife, who provided a wealth of actionable information.<br /><br />“That was a very good lead. Unfortunately, it was leaked in a prominent national newspaper about a week later and that lead went dead,” Thomas said. “The challenge we have [is] in terms of where and how our tactics and procedures are discussed openly. There's a great need to inform the American public about what we're up to. There's also great need to recognize things that will absolutely undercut our ability to do our job.”<br /><br /><u>Thomas appeared to be referring to a New York Times report in June 2015 that detailed how American intelligence agencies had “extracted valuable information.”</u>&nbsp;</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>”New insights yielded by the seized trove – four to seven terabytes of data, according to one official – include how the organization’s shadowy leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, operates and tries to avoid being tracked by coalition forces," the Times reported. </i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Would this be the same raid that <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/16/us-conducts-raid-on-isis-in-syria-kills-top-official.html" target="_blank">Fox reported on</a> in May 2015?</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">U.S. personnel overnight killed a key Islamic State leader in charge of the group's oil and gas operations in a raid in eastern Syria, the White House said Saturday.<br /><br />A team of Delta Force commandos slipped across the border from Iraq under cover of darkness Saturday aboard Black Hawk helicopters and V-22 Osprey aircraft, according to a U.S. defense official knowledgeable about details of the raid.<br /><br />... Ancient Assyrian texts and other priceless artifacts were recovered as well as what the defense official called a "treasure trove" of intelligence materials, such as cell phones, laptops and documents.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">You'd think Gen. Thomas's assertions might have rung a bell with the interview's moderator, in that she's credited on <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/19/us-interrogation-team-in-iraq-to-grill-wife-isis-leader.html" target="_blank">Fox's follow-up</a> two days later:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>A special team of CIA, FBI and Pentagon interrogators has been dispatched to Iraq to grill the wife of the key ISIS leader killed in a daring commando raid last Saturday -- but sources told Fox News that the questioning, which will include queries about murdered American aid worker Kayla Mueller, will stop short of using rough techniques.<br /><br />... Umm Sayyaf, the wife of Abu Sayyaf, was captured in the raid by the U.S. Army's elite Delta Force in eastern Syria and whisked away to an undisclosed Iraqi facility where the U.S. High Value Interrogation Group is questioning her.<br /><br />... In addition to taking out a key ISIS leader and the man responsible for the terrorist army's black market oil trade and capturing his wife, the raid netted a "treasure trove" of sensitive information, according to Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas. Officials believe the terrorist leader's wife may know even more about ISIS' operations.<br /><br />... Cellphones and laptops were seized in the operation and are now being analyzed for intelligence. U.S. officials said it was likely, given Abu Sayyaf's position, that he knew about more than just the financial side of the group's operations and also was targeted for his known association with the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. </i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Sure. It's entirely possible that -- three weeks after the raid, and a week after <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/world/middleeast/us-raid-in-syria-uncovers-details-on-isis-leadership-and-finances.html" target="_blank">the Times reported</a>&nbsp; on 'information harvested from the laptops, cellphones and other materials," al-Baghdadi suddenly realized that the laptops with the terabytes of data <i>were the missing ones</i>!!! Otherwise, it's hard to see why you'd give the competition top credit for following up on your own reporting. Maybe the smart reporter is the one who decided things were immediately unclear.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* Presumably, President Trump has gotten over <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/defense/333040-trump-wants-goddamned-steam-catapults-on-new-aircraft-carriers" target="_blank">his preference for steam catapults</a> over "the digital." Fox doesn't mention that, either.</span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-32920304003337389712017-07-14T22:01:00.002-04:002017-07-14T22:01:27.870-04:00When spark plugs attack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QnTLMvzLO3Y/WWlJkDFlLcI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/jz4lKyFgGh0lM5v9SqDTkgaISOyKOa_wACLcBGAs/s1600/pruden.2017.0714.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="1136" height="87" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QnTLMvzLO3Y/WWlJkDFlLcI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/jz4lKyFgGh0lM5v9SqDTkgaISOyKOa_wACLcBGAs/s400/pruden.2017.0714.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">See if you can guess where the Editor In Chief Emeritus of the Washington Times <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/13/a-big-bastille-day-for-america/" target="_blank">is going with this one</a>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The Donald finally caught a break in Paris, basking in rare Franco-American bonhomie as he joined the new president of France on Bastille Day, this year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American arrival on the battlefields of World War I.<br /><br />A contingent of American troops even led the parade down the Champs-Elysees. <u>Not even a president can resist a parade</u>, especially a military parade with marching bands and serried ranks of fighting men. On Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron of France did not even try.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">I think you've got the wrong "not even" -- is there some reason heads of state should be especially immune to the old blare of bugles and ruffle of drums? But we're about to get to the point:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Neither did Donald Trump, once a schoolboy at a military academy. Regimental flags floating on a peaceful breeze, <u>despised as nationalist symbols to some</u>, are but reminders to all that “greater love hath no man than this,” in the words of Christ as recorded by the Apostle John, “that a man lay down his life for his friends.”</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">So whatever his offspring have been up to with the Russians, the Bright Sun of the 21st Century is still reminding Europe who's the real defender of Western Civ. Which makes the Times's venture into period history all the more interesting:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><i>... The 100th anniversary celebrations are particularly poignant reminders of Franco-American friendship when it was backs-to-the-wall time.&nbsp; ... When the Germans, advancing through a grain field, got within a hundred yards, the Marines opened ferocious rifle fire, mowing down the ranks of <u>the Bosch</u> until the survivors fled into the woods.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Formez vos ranks of <a href="http://www.bosch-home.com/us/" target="_blank">brushed stainless steel</a>! Surely that's a single slip,* though?<br /><br /><i>... Said a French officer at the time, “the Americans were irrepressible! They climbed like cats into the highest trees to ‘<u>kill the Bosch</u>’ and began to fire into the enemy sentries or on the German platoons running between the first and second line of trenches.”</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Normally it's poor sport and worse karma to pick on individual spelling errors. But after the cheap foul in the third paragraph, one has to ask: Would this be the same paper that misspelled "<a href="http://hk-usa.com/company/" target="_blank">Heckler &amp; Koch</a>" in <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/25/donald-trump-aims-to-carry-on-presidents-tradition/" target="_blank">its paean to Massster's Second Amendment skills</a>? The one that <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/29/camp-david-a-perfect-match-for-donald-trump-after-/" target="_blank">can't tell the barrel of a shotgun from the front stock</a>? The one that <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/24/marines-turn-noses-obamas-new-girly-hats/" target="_blank">happily joined in</a> the <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/today-in-kenyan-muslim-perfidy.html" target="_blank">Murdoch-led plot</a> to declare that <a href="http://www.hqmc.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/553601/marine-corps-not-changing-male-dress-cover/" target="_blank">Obama ordered all Marines</a> to look as girly as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Daly" target="_blank">Sgt. Dan Daly</a>?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Yeah, that paper. Now that France is the new Great European Hope for the Times and its ilk, shall we see how France looked a few years ago?</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Marines are decrying a new look President Obama has planned for their uniforms — namely, a unisex-style cap that they say looks more French than American, more “girly” than hard-charging.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Please, never pass up a chance to make fun of these folks. </span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">* If only newspapers still employed people who looked stuff up in dictionaries. We could call them ... copy editors! Anyway, here's the OED on "boche":</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>The origin of the French noun as a derogatory term for a German is unclear. It probably shows either:<br /><br />(i) a sense development of boche scoundrel (1866; compare tête de boche obstinate, ignorant, or unintelligent person (1862; 1886 as a derogatory term for a German)), probably shortened &lt; caboche blockhead, head (see cabbage n.1);<br /><br />or (ii) a shortening of Alboche (also Alleboche ) (1860 as a derogatory term for a German, 1868 in tête d'alboche in the same sense), apparently an alteration of Allemand German (see Almain adj.), either after boche or caboche, or after earlier colloquial formations in -boche (as e.g. rigolboche amusing (1860; 1858 as the name of a fictional dancer)).</i></span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-12828436616444452322017-07-08T23:19:00.000-04:002017-07-08T23:21:17.922-04:00Sword and shield of the Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJGSa74d6Sk/WWGVjo4IlhI/AAAAAAAAIQ8/ip-5QhV0PMAadoG89Dy3BLspukWZ_sxvACLcBGAs/s1600/drudge.2017.0708.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="1193" height="182" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJGSa74d6Sk/WWGVjo4IlhI/AAAAAAAAIQ8/ip-5QhV0PMAadoG89Dy3BLspukWZ_sxvACLcBGAs/s400/drudge.2017.0708.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Oh, my. Something seems to have gotten the party press into a tizzy on Saturday night.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2CauzbYdbvg/WWGW3FBy7zI/AAAAAAAAIRA/_7qS4a6Maj4ZWS6KurL5VVGAemHG2Dz0QCLcBGAs/s1600/foxtop.2017.0708.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="995" height="176" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2CauzbYdbvg/WWGW3FBy7zI/AAAAAAAAIRA/_7qS4a6Maj4ZWS6KurL5VVGAemHG2Dz0QCLcBGAs/s320/foxtop.2017.0708.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">There's precious little hitting in <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/07/08/donald-trump-jr-and-jared-kushner-respond-to-meeting-with-russian-lawyer.html" target="_blank">the evening's top story at the Formerly Fair 'n' Balanced Network</a>:</span><br /><br /><div class="speakable"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">President Donald Trump’s eldest son, son-in-law, and then-campaign chairman met with a Russian&nbsp;lawyer shortly after Trump won the Republican nomination, in what appears to be the earliest known private meeting between key aides to the president and a Russian.</span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> </span></i><br /><div class="speakable"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner’s attorney confirmed the June 2016 meeting of the men and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump&nbsp;Tower. Then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended, according to the statement from Donald Trump Jr.</span></i></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">What on earth do you suppose made them confirm that?</span><br /><a name='more'></a><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br />... Trump Jr. does not serve in the administration and is not required to disclose his foreign contacts.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Kushner lawyer Jamie Gorelick, told Fox News in a statement: “As we have previously stated, Mr. Kushner’s SF-86 was prematurely submitted and, among other errors, did not list any contacts with foreign government officials. The next day, Mr. Kushner submitted supplemental information stating that he had had ‘numerous contacts with foreign officials’ about which he would be happy to provide additional information."</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The story is eight grafs, and you won't find much else in the way of hitting back in the other four. Do you suppose there might be some connection to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/08/us/politics/trump-russia-kushner-manafort.html" target="_blank">this tale, over at the Failing New York Times</a>?</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">... The Trump Tower meeting was&nbsp; not disclosed to government officials until recently, when Mr. Kushner, who is also a senior White House aide, filed a revised version of a form required to obtain a security clearance.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">It's actually a rather well-reported story, which might be why <a href="https://www.circa.com/story/2017/07/08/donald-trump-jr-met-with-russian-lawyer-during-election-but-didnt-follow-up" target="_blank">the account linked from Drudge</a> actually manages to identify the liberal conspiracy:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">... The president’s legal team said Saturday they believe the entire meeting may have been part of <u>a larger election-year opposition effort aimed at creating the appearance of improper connections between Trump family members and Russia </u>that also included a now-discredited intelligence dossier produced by a former British intelligence agent named Christopher Steele who worked for a U.S. political firm known as Fusion GPS.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">If you're not familiar with Circa, it's a fake news site created by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/business/dealbook/sinclair-media-expansion-fox-conservative-media.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/business/dealbook/sinclair-media-expansion-fox-conservative-media.html" target="_blank">the Sinclair gang</a> for people who believe everything that shows up on their phones. (Or, <a href="https://www.circa.com/staff/john-solomon" target="_blank">in the official description</a>: "An independent digital venture created by Sinclair Broadcast Group to reach millennial consumers on their mobile devices with exclusive video news, entertainment and humor content.")</span><br /><br />If we're having this much fun now, imagine what might happen when Massster gets back from his European vacation!fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-4047543241738277322017-07-07T23:35:00.000-04:002017-07-07T23:35:15.812-04:00"That's trouble. That's tough"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYOjkilCZkY/WWBOJm1AvNI/AAAAAAAAIQs/sGDyunrnscMj7bywbhRpRnEbIjNnlHeIgCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.bam.2015.1116.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="630" height="191" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYOjkilCZkY/WWBOJm1AvNI/AAAAAAAAIQs/sGDyunrnscMj7bywbhRpRnEbIjNnlHeIgCLcBGAs/s320/fox.bam.2015.1116.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Hey, does anybody remember how AWFUL it was when <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/today-in-kenyan-muslim-perfidy.html" target="_blank">the Kenyan usurper dared to describe a terrorist attack</a> with ... could it be the same noun that Churchill used for the set of decisions by which Auchinleck handed Benghazi (the port in Libya, not the campaign talking point) to Rommel on a silver plate? Yeah, "setback."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Anyway, if you did, you might be amused at <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/07/07/the_west_will_never_be_broken_134404.html" target="_blank">how the incumbent talks to Poland about the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact</a>:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>Then 19 years later, in 1938, you were invaded yet again; this time by Nazi Germany from the west and the Soviet Union from the east. <u>That's trouble.</u></i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><u><i></i></u></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i><u>That's tough</u>.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Please, if you have the time, take the opportunity to ridicule the Formerly Fair 'n' Balanced Network for everything it does.</span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-2478847024585029352017-07-01T23:58:00.000-04:002017-07-01T23:58:19.581-04:00Four legs good! Two legs are the best legs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzh5SYOSs9Q/WVhtxkeVXjI/AAAAAAAAIQc/WttYBQk77C4Iz5AtozJJhJ_f-5HVhLOnwCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.20217.0701.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="1013" height="230" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzh5SYOSs9Q/WVhtxkeVXjI/AAAAAAAAIQc/WttYBQk77C4Iz5AtozJJhJ_f-5HVhLOnwCLcBGAs/s400/fox.20217.0701.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Nothing much should surprise you about <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/01/trump-honors-veterans-at-celebrate-freedom-rally.html" target="_blank">the evening's top story</a> at the Formerly Fair 'n' Balanced Network:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">President Donald Trump delivered an Independence Day address honoring American veterans — hundreds of whom came from the Washington, D.C. area to attend the “Celebrate Freedom Rally” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">.. but this one part did get my attention:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">... Choirs performed “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and other hymns and debuted a song with the lyrics “make America great again” — Trump’s campaign slogan.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">I have to wonder what the "Make America Great Again" song sounded like. Did anyone in attendance think to ask for a copy of the lyrics? Because that's usually the sort of thing that <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/your-constitutional-rights-at-work.html" target="_blank">Fox is good at</a>:</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /><span><span style="font-style: italic;">Officials at a New Jersey school district have turned over to FoxNews.com requested copies of a notice and program for an assembly at which second-graders performed a controversial song praising President Obama, but the district has yet to produce song lyrics that, officials say, also were sent to parents.</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span><span style="font-style: italic;">FoxNews.com filed an open records request Oct. 19 seeking copies of materials provided to parents of students at B. Bernice Young Elementary School prior to the song's performance at the assembly in February. The song sparked a national controversy when someone posted to YouTube a video of the students performing it again</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Any further questions?</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-62646534383158880562017-06-29T21:05:00.002-04:002017-06-29T21:12:26.181-04:00Halfway round the world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FTsbHIRfWtM/WVWWBMDJoeI/AAAAAAAAIQM/ljLcumUvhukujodbOArn-SDEl_NLKvjtACLcBGAs/s1600/cd.2017.0628.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="62" data-original-width="943" height="26" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FTsbHIRfWtM/WVWWBMDJoeI/AAAAAAAAIQM/ljLcumUvhukujodbOArn-SDEl_NLKvjtACLcBGAs/s400/cd.2017.0628.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">In which <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170627/buckle-up-columbus-ranks-7th-in-worst-drivers" target="_blank">the fake news gets halfway round the world</a> -- OK, about 220 miles south, given the I-75 detour -- before the editors put on their trousers:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Columbus received a top ranked among 75 other cities in a comparison done by QuoteWizard, an online insurance comparison marketplace. Unfortunately, the ranking isn’t good news. It’s for the worst-driving cities in America.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">And you can write the rest from there. A competent spellcheck* probably should have caught "received a top ranked," but it wouldn't tell you that the "comparison" is <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2017/06/tell-them-to-buy-ad.html" target="_blank">meaningless babble designed to snag a few bursts of free publicity</a> for QuoteWizard. For that, it would help to have an editor, and <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/06/15/dispatch-sale-to-new-media-closes.html" target="_blank">guess what the Dispatch** did that doesn't bode well for editors</a>?</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br />Please don't mistake that for a cause-and-effect argument. We're <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/search?q=post+hoc" target="_blank">no more hospitable to <i>post hoc</i> claims</a> now than back before the War on Editing began. But it's worth pointing out that if you're, oh, the New York Times and you want to avoid running stupid <i>post hoc</i> editorial claims about the better-forgotten Sarah Palin, you probably shouldn't start by eliminating the job classification*** with the highest proportion of people who will call your writers on bogus reasoning.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">* Word didn't, from which you may draw conclusions next time Word questions you about the passive voice.</span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">** Your Editor and frequent commenter RayB are <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/insight/2016/01/17/01-on-the-move.html" target="_blank">somewhere amid the throng in this crowd shot</a>.</span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">***&nbsp; Which is still <a href="http://www.poynter.org/2017/new-york-times-copy-desk-to-top-editors-you-have-turned-your-backs-on-us-update4/465100/" target="_blank">holding the bridge with class</a>, if you've missed it.</span></span></span></span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-682271565584615482017-06-28T17:07:00.001-04:002017-06-28T17:07:51.115-04:00Today in lying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8iZNkMFh04/WVQUWqb-v-I/AAAAAAAAIPs/a4ICvBeq4UgRpnYLQr1Xm15yDyp6fTJYgCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.lie.2017.0628.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="666" height="197" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8iZNkMFh04/WVQUWqb-v-I/AAAAAAAAIPs/a4ICvBeq4UgRpnYLQr1Xm15yDyp6fTJYgCLcBGAs/s400/fox.lie.2017.0628.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/28/susan-rice-suggests-race-gender-bias-linked-to-unmasking-backlash.html" target="_blank">afternoon's top story</a> at the Formerly Fair 'n' Balanced Network certainly rips the mask off one of the chief miscreants of the 0blamer administration, dunnit? I mean, daring to play the race and gender card when Unmaskinggate is closing in:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Susan Rice, the Obama national security adviser under fire over her alleged involvement in the “unmasking” of Trump associates during the 2016 presidential election, suggested in a fresh interview that race and gender might be playing a role in the scrutiny she’s faced.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br />Sounds serious! I wonder if it's true.<br /><br /><i>In an interview with journalist Michael Tomasky for New York Magazine, Rice <u>reportedly</u> questioned the criticism she’s faced dating back to the Benghazi controversy.</i><br /><br />Funny, <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/search?q=benghazi" target="_blank">lots of adults do that</a>. What's the problem here?</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /><i>“Why me? Why not Jay Carney, for example, who was then our press secretary, who stood up more?” she asked.<br /><br />Tomasky noted in the piece that Carney “isn’t an African-American woman, of course” and apparently asked Rice whether that is the key factor. Rice, in response, <u>left the door open</u>:<br /><br />“I don’t know… <u>I do not leap to the simple explanation that it’s only about race and gender</u>. I’m trying to keep my theories to myself until I’m ready to come out with them. It’s not because I don’t have any.”</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">In other words, Susan Rice "links" race and gender to "the 'unmasking' backlash" by ... declining the opportunity to link them to BENGHAZI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can see why -- other than the marginally literate prose its staff produces -- Fox doesn't want you to read past the headline. It doesn't just lie about the evidence; it lies about what it's lying about.</span><br /><a name='more'></a><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">But Rice mentioned other prominent female figures – like Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice – who faced “ad hominem” attacks, suggesting a correlation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">"Suggesting" to anyone other than the reporter? Because if we're into suggestions, I'd suggest we wonder why comments aren't enabled on a story about a scary black female person questioning the conventional wisdom of the Murdoch empire. That's not the sort of opportunity Fox usually passes up. But wait -- there's more!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Asked about the comments, a Republican Capitol Hill source pushed back. “This is screaming out for attention… She’s saying I don’t know why they all started picking on me to begin with.”</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">You hate to give advice to the seasoned professional journalists at Fox, but -- damn, kids, if you're the party press and you can't find a "Republican Capitol Hill source" to repeat the party line on the record, you aren't trying very hard.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">And for dessert:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">... Rice initially became a target of Republican criticism back in 2012 for giving misleading information about the origin of the Benghazi terror attack. On Sept. 16, 2012, just days after the attack, Rice appeared on all five Sunday political talk shows <u>to claim the Benghazi attack spun out of a protest over an anti-Muslim video</u> produced in California.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">That means we can admire Fox's lead story from the day after BENGHAZI!!!!! again:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4bTidtLMkJw/WVQZpvzu9ZI/AAAAAAAAIP8/eRbIk0qgT5gX62UcDp1DgCHa3py_JoLjACLcBGAs/s1600/benghazi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="640" height="206" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4bTidtLMkJw/WVQZpvzu9ZI/AAAAAAAAIP8/eRbIk0qgT5gX62UcDp1DgCHa3py_JoLjACLcBGAs/s400/benghazi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Please don't miss the chance to remind Fox -- and the conscience that no doubt lingers among a few of its viewers -- about who blamed the video on what and when.</span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-74470063806487014122017-06-27T22:22:00.001-04:002017-06-27T22:22:11.897-04:00Tell them to buy an ad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5zE1GnOIPY/WVL6_LODzLI/AAAAAAAAIPM/R3Gvo-HK3voTc_wmSiNuXCJ-_-B1ZaH0QCLcBGAs/s1600/ClickOnDetroit.2017.0627.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="999" height="72" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5zE1GnOIPY/WVL6_LODzLI/AAAAAAAAIPM/R3Gvo-HK3voTc_wmSiNuXCJ-_-B1ZaH0QCLcBGAs/s400/ClickOnDetroit.2017.0627.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Q: What's the best way to get some free publicity for your business?*</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">A: <a href="http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/study-detroit-has-the-best-drivers-in-america" target="_blank">Dangle a "study" in front of a local journalist</a>! </span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">DETROIT - Detroit is the best driving city in America, according to a new study.<br /><br />QuoteWizard published a new study ranking the best and worst driving cities in America, ranking 75 cities.<br /><br />The final rankings <u>are sum of weighted means</u> calculated from these parameters</span></i><br /><ul><li><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Accidents</span></i></li><li><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Speeding tickets</span></i></li><li><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">DUIs</span></i></li><li><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Citations (running a red light, using a cellphone while driving, etc.)&nbsp;</span></i></li></ul><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">If you're wondering what that all means, you might be tempted to click through to <a href="https://quotewizard.com/news/posts/the-best-and-worst-drivers-by-city" target="_blank">the study itself</a>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">After QuoteWizard compared the best and worst drivers by state, we wanted to know more about how drivers in America's 75 most populous city metro areas stack up against each other. Here's how we did it:</span></i><b><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br />Methodology</span></b><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br />How do you statistically determine bad driving? We sampled incident stats from users of our website with over two million data points from 2016. To quantify over driver standards for comparison, we weighted incident counts for each city with its occurrence percentage. The final rankings <u>are sum of weighted means**</u> calculated from these parameters:</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br />You don't know a lot more than you did before, but you do know one important thing: "Two million" is just a number with some zeroes until you know what it's two million of and how the two million were chosen. In this case, it's "data points" drawn in some undescribed fashion from "users of our website," though there's no indication of how those are related in turn to the "incident stats" that were apparently "sampled" in some undescribed way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Should you draw any conclusions about whether Detroit is a good or bad "driving city" from the study? Given that the link from the anchor text complaining about Detroit's "oft-uninsured drivers" goes to <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/05/11/livingston-county-crash-driving-records/101552256/" target="_blank">a story about a fatal crash</a> involving two unlicensed drivers at an intersection*** 50-plus miles from our snug little office in midtown, you make the call.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EusZ3hl-HuE/WVMIFqgg3LI/AAAAAAAAIPc/W7fbMFFv7nMls2_RX2mvqvJQKlNwDvL5ACLcBGAs/s1600/map.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="368" height="131" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EusZ3hl-HuE/WVMIFqgg3LI/AAAAAAAAIPc/W7fbMFFv7nMls2_RX2mvqvJQKlNwDvL5ACLcBGAs/s200/map.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">That's sort of the point. You don't need a course in statistics to ask what a crash in the wilds of Livingston County has to do with driver habits in Detroit. You just need to ask. And you don't need a course in statistics to ask what a writer means by "incident count," "city" and "occurrence percentage," not to mention why and how the means are weighted, or even why users of an insurance comparison website would be a good representation of a city where <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/20/nearly-half-detroit-motorists-driving-dirty.html" target="_blank">a huge proportion of drivers are uninsured</a>. That's why we tell people in quant classes to write for their smart friends in the English department: Being able to explain your data is a good indication that you understand your data. Using numberish-sounding words that you don't explain is often strongly correlated with, well, bullshitting. </span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">This isn't "fake news" in the 2016 sense; it's the old-school kind that has always gotten past enough gatekeepers to do its work. </span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The traditional response is "tell them to buy an ad."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">* Whose purpose seems to be summed up in this note: </span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">By clicking "Find Discounts &amp; Check Rates" I provide my signature, expressly authorizing telemarketing calls from this website, our marketing and re-marketing partners, and up to eight <span data-ng-click="ctrl.showProviders = true;" id="showCompanies">insurance companies or their agents or partner companies</span> at the phone number, including wireless numbers, and address provided, in order to deliver insurance quotes or to obtain additional information for such purpose, via live, pre-recorded or auto-dialed calls, text messages, or email for up to 180 days.</span></span></i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">** Yes, this would suggest that the TV station didn't read before copy-pasting.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">*** One of the drivers was from Oakland County, which at least is in the three-county metro area, though it's not the county that contains Detroit.</span></span> </span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-41136734416867926772017-06-24T20:54:00.001-04:002017-06-24T20:54:21.563-04:00You provide the prose poems ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDcSCtC51P4/WU7lfZRv5FI/AAAAAAAAIO8/bDsrSPtzmjY6Se-dgiMP7RW-AlsVbGM5QCLcBGAs/s1600/fox.agenda.2017.0623.5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="993" height="323" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDcSCtC51P4/WU7lfZRv5FI/AAAAAAAAIO8/bDsrSPtzmjY6Se-dgiMP7RW-AlsVbGM5QCLcBGAs/s400/fox.agenda.2017.0623.5.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">What do you suppose was <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/23/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-uses-terrifyingly-creative-methods-to-kill-enemies.html" target="_blank">the top story for most of Friday</a> at the <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/06/fox-news-is-dropping-its-fair-and-balanced-slogan.html" target="_blank">Formerly Fair 'n' Balanced Network</a>?</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">From siccing wild dogs on his own uncle to gunning down his enemies with artillery meant for taking out planes, North Korea's Kim Jong Un has built a reputation for dispatching with extreme prejudice all those who cross him.<br /><br /><u>While some of the terrifying methods of execution have never been confirmed</u>, the mere mention of them is sure to keep his inner circle in line - and any potential rivals quiet, say experts. <u>A confirmed favorite tactic</u>, blowing people away with anti-aircraft guns, <u>leave </u>victims unrecognizable.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">I'm not sure if the grammar is there to distract you from the admission that the story's bogus or the other way around. Anyway ...</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">"Because there are several guns bound together, it would be hard to find the body after firing it once," Hong Hyun-ik, chief researcher at the Sejong Institute, a security think tank based in Seoul, told local broadcaster YTN <u>in 2015</u>. "It's really gruesome."</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">In late February, South Korean officials revealed that five North Korean officials had been subjected to the particularly grisly form of overkill. Other methods trickle out of the secretive Hermit Kingdom, their unverified status only burnishing the legend of Kim's depravity.<br /><br /><u>A report that one official was killed by a mortar round has been treated with skepticism</u>. But the tale sent a strong message when coupled with his alleged crime: drinking and carousing during the official mourning period following the death of Kim's father, the equally brutal Kim Jong Il.</span></i><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">... Perhaps the most frightening method of execution ordered by the 33-year-old, third-generation dictator is allowing a pack of starving dogs to devour enemies. In one notable case, the victim was purportedly Kim's own uncle.<br /><br />Jang Song-thaek was thought of as a father figure to Kim Jong Un, and served as the second-in-command to the supreme leader. But when he ran afoul of Kim in 2013 for "anti-state acts" and "double-dealing," his familial ties couldn't save him from his nephew's wrath.<br /><br />How Jang died may never come to light, <u>but a rumor that he was fed to dogs was widely reported</u>. <u>Other reports subsequently claimed that Jang was likely executed by anti-aircraft guns before his body was incinerated by flamethrowers</u>.<br /><br />The gout-addled Kim also had several of his uncle's cronies killed, and was reportedly "very drunk" when he gave the orders.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">According to a report from the Institute for National Security Strategy, a South Korean think tank, Kim has ordered the execution of more than 340 individuals since taking power in 2011. The report also indicates that the number of military and government officials purged by Kim since 2011 has increased every year. Just 3 officials were executed in 2012, compared to about 140 since the beginning of 2016.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Surely there's a point to all this?</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">... Americans consider Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old college student sentenced to 15 years' hard labor for stealing a poster, to have effectively been a victim of Kim's bloodlust. It may never be known what killed Warmbier, but he was returned to the U.S. last week, 17 months after beginning his sentence, in a terminal state. He was buried Thursday.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">That would be a pretty easy question to poll, as long as you don't mind a high proportion of "whaaa?" answers.&nbsp; I have no idea what the answer would be, the bright side of which is that Fox doesn't either. But this is a matter on which <a href="http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/06/24/otto-warmbier-college-professor-blasted-got-what-he-deserved" target="_blank">there will be no deviating</a> from the party line. Massster has a war to start!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Oh, and while we're keeping score? <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/today-in-snowflakery.html" target="_blank">Seditious libel</a> has been a more frequent theme over at Fox in the past seven months or so, but it's unusual for <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/06/23/johnny-depp-in-meltdown-mode-trump-assassination-comments-alleged-amber-heard-abuse-details-cause-concern.html" target="_blank">two of the</a> <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/23/msnbc-analyst-likens-trump-to-suicide-bomber.html" target="_blank">top four stories</a> to be sedition-themed. You read it here first.</span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-66427642793661793032017-06-11T12:01:00.000-04:002017-06-11T12:01:41.668-04:00Thufferin' thuccotash<span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">How's it going with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/business/media/new-york-times-buyouts.html" target="_blank">your decision to cut out those pesky layers of editors</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/10/pageoneplus/corrections-june-11-2017.html?ref=corrections" target="_blank">Nation's Newspaper of Record</a>?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><i>A report last Sunday about the wedding of Spouse I and Spouse II Jr. misstated the name of the town in Maine where the groom’s parents worked. <u>It is Bath,* not Bass</u>. The report also misstated the name of the company where the groom’s father worked. <u>It is Bath Iron Works, not Bass Iron Works</u>.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Now close your eyes and imagine an age in which <a href="https://www.ihs.com/products/janes-fighting-ships.html" target="_blank">Jane's Fighting Ships</a> was as easy to find in the newsroom as a guide to <a href="https://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click&amp;contentCollection=Corrections&amp;region=TopBar&amp;WT.nav=searchWidget&amp;module=SearchSubmit&amp;pgtype=article#/%22star+wars%22+corrections/since1851/allresults/1/allauthors/newest/Corrections/" target="_blank">the "Star Wars" canon</a>. On second thought, don't.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* As your paper appears to have noted <a href="https://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click&amp;contentCollection=Corrections&amp;region=TopBar&amp;WT.nav=searchWidget&amp;module=SearchSubmit&amp;pgtype=article#/%22bath+iron+works%22/365days/allresults/1/allauthors/newest/" target="_blank">on 10 other occasions</a> in the past year. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;</span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-15798374817277894552017-06-03T00:58:00.002-04:002017-06-03T00:59:45.317-04:00Editing: Ur doin it wrong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-viV1vQHlS7s/WTIsVmLOnHI/AAAAAAAAIOs/zqveM-EcUAsxK8uyRRR-oE6PyDwM9ItwwCLcB/s1600/wp.2017.0602.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="762" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-viV1vQHlS7s/WTIsVmLOnHI/AAAAAAAAIOs/zqveM-EcUAsxK8uyRRR-oE6PyDwM9ItwwCLcB/s400/wp.2017.0602.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">In the wake of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/05/31/new-york-times-ends-its-traditional-copy-desk/?utm_term=.af742c13ee08" target="_blank">the Times's decision to sue for armistice</a> in the War on Editing, the above presentation from the Washington Post's Friday afternoon e-newsletter is worth a moment's reflection.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Granted,* a straight-up-the-middle fact check of the Orange Peril's random babbling on Thursday about the Paris climate accord is a laudable journalistic mission, even if it overlooks the really entertaining stuff. For instance, the Orange Peril's decision <a href="http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/transcript-trump-paris-climate-accord-exit-speech/" target="_blank">to begin his remarks</a> by addressing a terrorist attack that <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/01/gunshots-reportedly-fired-at-resorts-world-manila-in-philippines.html" target="_blank">even his pet news outlet doesn't think is a terrorist attack</a>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you. I would like to begin by addressing the terrorist attack in Manila. We’re closely monitoring the situation, and I will continue to give updates if anything happens during this period of time. <u>But it is really very sad as to what’s going on throughout the world with terror</u>. Our thoughts and our prayers are with all of those affected.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span></i><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">And then -- it gets better! -- to continue by boasting about the economy without waiting for (ahem) <a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/5458074519001/" target="_blank">the real monthly numbers</a> to come in:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Before we discuss the Paris Accord, I’d like to begin with an update on our tremendous — absolutely tremendous — economic progress since Election Day on November 8th. The economy is starting to come back, and very, very rapidly. We’ve added $3.3 trillion in stock market value to our economy, and more than a million private sector jobs.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">But his real purpose was to lie<i> </i>about the Paris accord:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">... </span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States. The rest of the world applauded when we signed the Paris Agreement — they went wild; they were so happy — for the simple reason that it put our country, the United States of America, which we all love, at a very, very big economic disadvantage. A cynic would say the obvious reason for economic competitors and their wish to see us remain in the agreement is so that we continue to suffer this self-inflicted major economic wound. We would find it very hard to compete with other countries from other parts of the world.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">And that's the sort of adolescent whining that should cause the ears of a good fact-checker to perk up. And the Fact Checker's** ears do:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">In his speech announcing his decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord on climate change, President Trump frequently relied on dubious facts and unbalanced claims to make his case that the agreement would hurt the U.S. economy. Notably, he only looked at one side of the scale — claiming the agreement left the United States at a competitive disadvantage, harming U.S. industries. But he often ignored the benefits that could come from tackling climate change, including potential green jobs.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Which is good as far as it goes (despite failing to point out that the Orange Peril is a lying shitbird of epic proportion). What it doesn't explain is why you should follow your actual fact-checking effort with a separate story claiming that the speech "needs a serious fact check." Could you not, at long last, simply read your own paper?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">If I could mash up the wisdom of Bill Walsh and <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23736992.2016.1258990?needAccess=true" target="_blank">my favorite article of the year so far</a> in the Journal of Media Ethics: An algorithm is not an editor. Sometimes you need to close a browser and think.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">* I'd say "it goes without saying," but I'm a life rimrat, and nothing in a newspaper "goes without saying," ever, period.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">** </span><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">Despite its <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/01/19/obamas-biggest-whoppers/?utm_term=.5ce7317d6fa9" target="_blank">occasional incompetence on matters like BENGHAZI!!!!!</a><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span></i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"> </span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-64553851653537882262017-05-29T22:32:00.001-04:002017-05-29T22:32:24.589-04:00Simon Says<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S80gMndTrss/WSzM5T6Z1PI/AAAAAAAAIOM/KC4rozCJBNwdTbAq3oa-6sFJvblhVk3kgCLcB/s1600/fox.sourcing.2017.0529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="871" height="220" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S80gMndTrss/WSzM5T6Z1PI/AAAAAAAAIOM/KC4rozCJBNwdTbAq3oa-6sFJvblhVk3kgCLcB/s400/fox.sourcing.2017.0529.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">What's the latest on the current fake news scandal, <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/29/jared-kushner-didnt-suggest-russian-communications-channel-in-meeting-source-says.html" target="_blank">Fair 'n' Balanced Network</a>?</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">A December meeting between Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and one of the senior advisers in the Trump administration, and Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak at Trump Tower focused on Syria, <u>a source familiar with the matter told Fox News</u> Monday.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Now, now, now! You heard what Massster said when he got back from vacation:&nbsp;</span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"> </span></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G_924-unNpc/WSzXJ75wFsI/AAAAAAAAIOc/_Y2q2LZHmAcQ-ZsxJrconD4bpzQf3XRYgCLcB/s1600/fweet.2017.0529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="718" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G_924-unNpc/WSzXJ75wFsI/AAAAAAAAIOc/_Y2q2LZHmAcQ-ZsxJrconD4bpzQf3XRYgCLcB/s400/fweet.2017.0529.png" width="400" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">During the meeting the Russians broached the idea of using a secure line between the Trump administration and Russia, not Kushner, <u>a source familiar with the matter told Fox News</u>. That follows a recent report from The Washington Post alleging that Kushner wanted to develop a secure, private line with Russia.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Well, that's a relief. This one says "source says," not "sources say," so it must be all right. But aside from moving the narrative from "it wouldn't have been a bad idea" to "it wasn't our idea in the first place," what else can this source tell us?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">The idea of a permanent back channel was never discussed, according to the source. Instead, only a one-off for a call about Syria was raised in the conversation.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">So -- nothing to impede the investigation, right?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">... The source <u>has told </u>Fox News that Kushner is eager to tell Congress about the meeting and any others of interest.</span></i>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-31324142909416328302017-05-21T10:43:00.001-04:002017-05-21T10:43:42.294-04:00No school is an island<span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Any correction diminishes me, but some diminish me less than others:</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The Living In column last Sunday, about East Hills, N.Y., referred imprecisely to one of the high schools that East Hills students attend. The Wheatley School is a secondary school in the East Williston Union Free School District; <u>Wheatley is not a district unto itself</u>.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Thank you, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/pageoneplus/corrections-may-21-2017.html?ref=corrections&amp;_r=1&amp;mtrref=www.nytimes.com" target="_blank">Nation's Newspaper of Record</a>.</span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-80836067704010995862017-05-20T23:57:00.000-04:002017-05-20T23:57:07.592-04:00A red, white and blue streamers<span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">What a long day it's been for the Fair 'n' Balanced Network! Let's just enjoy <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/20/trump-calls-saudi-visit-tremendous-in-critical-first-overseas-trip.html" target="_blank">the evening ledeall</a> on Massster's foreign adventures. Text is verbatim, with occasional highlighting for the curious.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NphacB9kuk4/WSEM0-CnOgI/AAAAAAAAIN8/wok-K1mEpjYA-KqQ21pJ687fZeckW5DjwCLcB/s1600/foxhed.2017.0520.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NphacB9kuk4/WSEM0-CnOgI/AAAAAAAAIN8/wok-K1mEpjYA-KqQ21pJ687fZeckW5DjwCLcB/s400/foxhed.2017.0520.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><i>President Trump on Saturday began his first overseas trip as president with a stop in Saudi Arabia, calling the visit a “tremendous day” and pledging to work with leader King Salman to bring <u>peace to the Gulf region</u> and forge stronger economic ties, in large part through <u>a roughly $10 billion arms deal</u>.*<br /><br />“That was a tremendous day,” Trump said shortly after signing the arm deal. “Tremendous investments in the United States. <u>Hundreds of billions of dollars</u> of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs."<br /><br />The arms deal is <u>part of large, $350 billion economic packages</u> between the ally nations.<br /><br />Trump and first lady Melania Trump were greeting in Saudi Arabia at the airport by <u>81-year King Salman</u>, in a red carpet ceremony that also included a military flyover in which <u>several jets left a red, white and blue streamers</u>.<br /><br />Trump <u>called his visit to Saudi Arabia "a great honor" joined the king</u> in a brief coffee ceremony at the airport terminal before heading to his hotel and the official events of the day.<br /><br />After signing the deal in Riyadh and talking with top Saudi leaders, Trump and the first lady are scheduled to participate in a royal banquet dinner and a museum tour at the Murabba Palace in Riyadh.<br /><br />Trump is also scheduled to make a major speech Sunday in which he’s expected to show support for America’s Persian Gulf allies, <u>a likely reset after months of talk about Muslim extremism</u>.**<br /><br />The next stop in the president’s nine-day trip will be <u>Israel, where he will have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican</u>,*** then meet with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.<br /><br />“Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” Trump tweeted upon landing in Saudi Arabia aboard Air Force One. “Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead.”<br /><br />The first lady wore a black pantsuit with a golden belt and did not cover her head for the arrival, consistent with custom for foreign dignitaries visiting Saudi Arabia.<br /><br />Trump <u>shook hands with the king, compared to**** then-President Barack Obama in 2009 appearing to bow before then King Abdullah</u>, a move some viewed as a sign of American weakness.<br /><br />Trump, during his winning presidential campaign and in the first several months of his presidency, has argued that the United States can no longer be the world’s police officer and that other nations must become more self-sufficient in efforts to combat such terror networks as al Qaeda and the Islamic State and in protecting themselves against rogue nations like Iran and North Korea.<br /><br />After two days of meetings in Riyadh, Trump will travel to <u>Israel where he’ll have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican</u>,***** then meet with allies at a NATO summit in Brussels and the Group of 7 wealthy nations in Sicily.<br /><br />The multi-billion dollar arms deal “in the clearest terms possible” shows the United States’ commitment to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners and expands economic opportunities, the White House said.<br /><br />The deal will include tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, radar and communications and cybersecurity technology. And it will support tens-of-thousands of new jobs in the U.S. defense industrial base, the White House said.<br /><br />Trump did not address the cameras. But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Foreign Minister Abdel al Jubeir held a joint press conference.<br /><br />Jubeir said Trump "certainly has the vision and, we believe, strength to bring about Middle East peace.”<br /><br />He also called <u>the Trump’s trip</u> a “truly historic visit.”<br /><br />Said Tillerson: “We’re very proud of this relationship we're embarking on.”<br /><u>He also took a question about a recent news report about somebody within the White House being a person of interest amid ongoing investigations into whether Trump and his associates colluded with Russia to help Trump win the 2016 presidential race</u>.<br /><br />Tillerson said he had “no knowledge” about such a person of interest.******<br /><br />White House officials hope the trip gives Trump the opportunity to recalibrate after one of the most difficult stretches of his young presidency. <u>The White House badly bungled the president's stunning firing of FBI Director James Comey</u>, who was overseeing the federal government’s investigation into possible Russia collusion.&nbsp; <br /><br />Trump on Sunday will also hold meetings with more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders converging on Riyadh for a regional summit focused largely on combating the Islamic State and other extremist groups.<br /><br />Still, the centerpiece of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia will likely be the speech Sunday at the Arab-Islamic-American summit.<br /><br />White House aides view the address as a counter to Obama's 2009 speech to the Muslim world, which Trump criticized as too apologetic for U.S. actions in the region.<br /><br />Trump will call for unity in the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world, casting the challenge as a "battle between good and evil" and <u>urging Arab leaders to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship,"</u> according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. The draft notably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights — topics Arab leaders often view as U.S. moralizing — in favor of the more limited goals of peace and stability.<br /><br />It also abandons some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric that defined Trump's presidential campaign and does not contain the words "radical Islamic terror," a phrase Trump repeatedly criticized Hillary Clinton for not using during last year's campaign.<br /><br />The Associated Press contributed to this report.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* $110 billion <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/20/trump-arrives-to-saudi-arabia-for-his-first-international-trip-since-taking-office.html" target="_blank">elsewhere at Fox</a>, but who's counting?</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** "Likely"</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*** Are we leading with the earthquake?&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**** "Compared to"&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">***** It actually doesn't get better when you leave out the comma&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">****** Stop press!&nbsp;</span></span> </span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-3247423254822925002017-05-20T20:59:00.002-04:002017-05-20T20:59:59.067-04:00Nice Massster!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--AMiDVk1S2M/WSDD41hox3I/AAAAAAAAINQ/TOQqj4ae-_g7SqrtDv_q8OWD14IYOTRkACLcB/s1600/fox.agenda.2017.0520.1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--AMiDVk1S2M/WSDD41hox3I/AAAAAAAAINQ/TOQqj4ae-_g7SqrtDv_q8OWD14IYOTRkACLcB/s320/fox.agenda.2017.0520.1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">They really know <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/20/trump-arrives-to-saudi-arabia-for-his-first-international-trip-since-taking-office.html" target="_blank">how to write a lede</a> over at the Fair 'n' Balanced Network, don't they?</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">President Trump tweeted soon after arriving to Saudi Arabia Saturday morning to kick off a nine-day international tour that will also take him to Israel and Europe.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">“Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” he tweeted, his first on international soil as president. “Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead.”</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Enough drama. Let's have some historical context:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><u>Trump is the only American president to visit Saudi Arabia, or any Muslim-majority country</u>. The decision comes as he looks to show respect to the region after months of harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric that has surrounded his administration.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Weird, isn't it? Even if no one covering the Most Awesomest State Visit in History had ever heard of FDR* or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_visits_to_the_Middle_East" target="_blank">any president (except Truman) since</a>, you'd think someone might have read ahead:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">... Melania Trump wore a black pantsuit with a golden belt and did not cover her head for the arrival, consistent with custom for foreign dignitaries visiting Saudi Arabia. In 2015, her husband had, in a tweet, criticized <u>former first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf during a visit to the kingdom</u>.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Hold that thought, because there's a lot more Obama in the works, and admire the rest of a nearly perfect Fox front page. <a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-face-of-goldstein.html" target="_blank">George Soros</a> is f<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/19/george-soros-boosts-another-da-candidate-in-philadelphia-race.html" target="_blank">unding treason again</a>! North Korea <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/05/20/north-korea-vows-to-strengthen-nuclear-program-as-us-increases-pressure.html" target="_blank">GAAAAAAAAH</a>! Liberals <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/05/19/minnesota-yearbook-behead-trump.html" target="_blank">have no respect for Massster</a>! Could it possibly get any better? Fortunately, Fox was hard at work helping you understand the day's events:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESXON3jeUlk/WSDYZXi5xaI/AAAAAAAAINg/3K4hJZNvqegActnRP28OwoSmOmoa2_qXQCLcB/s1600/foxrail.2017.0520.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESXON3jeUlk/WSDYZXi5xaI/AAAAAAAAINg/3K4hJZNvqegActnRP28OwoSmOmoa2_qXQCLcB/s400/foxrail.2017.0520.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">"<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/20/trump-shakes-hands-with-saudi-leader-doesnt-bow-as-obama-appeared-to-do.html" target="_blank">No Bending Over</a>" is pretty easy to follow, though the deck -- "Unlike Obama, Trump shakes Saudi king's hand" -- is a little bizarre, given that the picture actually shows Obama shaking the king's hand. But the point is clear: America is great again!</span><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">President Trump upon arriving in Saudi Arabia on Saturday did not bow to the Gulf leader as former President Barack Obama appeared to do&nbsp;-- a move interpreted as American weakness.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">In 2009, Obama appeared to bow to then-Saudi leader King Abdullah at a G-20 summit in London.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Videos show Obama bending at the waist toward the king. The White House at the time purported denied that the president had bowed, with a source saying Obama was taller than the king, so he had to lean.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">And obviously, even when you're a little shorter, you need to lean a little when somebody's giving you a medal:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SX5tfE4j4vo/WSDbCBb_BAI/AAAAAAAAINs/rX-TFbrrcrQP2AqyBU5ktvQ9mWmgPS-2ACLcB/s1600/wp.drumpf.2017.0520.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SX5tfE4j4vo/WSDbCBb_BAI/AAAAAAAAINs/rX-TFbrrcrQP2AqyBU5ktvQ9mWmgPS-2ACLcB/s320/wp.drumpf.2017.0520.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The curtsy <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/20/trump-mocked-obama-for-bowing-to-a-saudi-king-and-then-he/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_fix-bowing640pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&amp;utm_term=.87899888cd71" target="_blank">at the end of the widely circulated video</a> seems original, though.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">As for female dignitaries' not covering in public, <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/20/melania-trump-forgoes-wearing-headscarf-in-saudi-arabia-trip.html" target="_blank">even Fox seems to admit</a> that that's pretty standard:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><i>Melania Trump went without a headscarf as she arrived in Saudi Arabia Saturday with her husband.</i><br /><i>The first lady wore long sleeves and pants in keeping with the strict dress code that Saudi Arabia enforces for its female citizens but she did not cover her head. Her long hair blew freely in the breeze as she stepped off Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in the capital city of Riyadh.<br /><br />President Trump criticized former first lady Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf during a January 2015 visit to Saudi Arabia with then-President Barack Obama.<br /><br />While many people applauded Mrs. Obama’s decision, Trump tweeted in 2015 that the people of Saudi Arabia “were insulted.”<br /><br />"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," he tweeted, using a short-hand spelling for "enough."</i></span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Earlier this year, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also shunned head coverings, showing how common it is for high-level female visitors to skip wearing a headscarf or an abaya, the loose-fitting, black robe worn by Saudi women.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The best context for Fox's coverage, I think, occurs toward the end of <a href="https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2017/05/19/the-ignorant-reaction-to-the-passing-of-roger-ailes/" target="_blank">Rush Limbaugh's Friday diatribe about his misunderstood buddy Roger Ailes</a>:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">I understand what these liberal journalists do better than they do. They are the least curious people among us. They don’t need to be curious. They already know everything. Such as Trump is a crook, such as Trump colluded with the Russians, despite there’s no evidence for it.&nbsp;</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">So when we… That’s a good example. When we don’t follow that narrative, that there’s collusion, what are we doing? Why, we are toying with the minds of disaffected people and we’re creating a false villain! We’re not creating anything. We’re just doing the stories you people ignore.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span></i><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">We’re not combining campaign messaging with journalism or anything of the sort. We’re filling a vacuum that you people left. It’s amazing. All these mainstream media outlets, television networks, cable networks, newspapers, and no matter where you go on any of ’em, you get the impact same story and the exact same take on it. That leaves all kinds of opportunity for those of you who are actually trying to get to the truth.&nbsp;</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">You people deal in “narratives,” which means you’re creating a reality you want people to believe. We don’t do narratives. We just report what we see and comment on it. We don’t create narratives. Who’s got time to do that?</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Judging by the comments on the headscarf story, Fox creates narratives pretty well:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><i>Wow, the Washington Compost will have a front page " How dare Melanie Trump would not wear a head scarf".&nbsp; LOL. Russian hacking ! it is a fake image of the ceremony. The Saudi did not respect the President of the USA.&nbsp; LOL. Fake news and fake reporters. <br /><br />Let me say this. When Trump got off that plane the whole area lit up. When Obama went... Not so. Obama had this sinister look in his eye&nbsp; His wife had that saucy look like you are crazy if you don't lick her toes or something. Now Hillary... Had she shown up she would have had to wear diaper and long shirt to cover the leaks. <br /><br />Trump did not wear a headpiece or bow down, I guess the First Family are "Americans" and "proud" to be Americans!<br /><br />Melanie is the most beautiful FLOTUS in America history not some muscular NFL line backer. NFL line back....er ! Do you get it? <br /><br />I wish Debbie Bow Wow Schultz, Nancy Pelosi, Liz Warren and Chelsea and Hillary Clinton would wear a full burka to cover their faces.<br /><br />If you were a Saudi prince, would you really want to see Melania covered? Maybe Moochelle, but not Melania.<br /><br />Michelle did not wear the scarf..that's true..but obombo wore a dress ,head scarf and heels.<br /><br />Mainstream media is so juvenile. Instead of facts of current visit, they must dig up something president Trump said years ago about Michele..petty babies. I STAND WITH PRES. TRUMP!!<br /><br />Moochelle and Shrillery both should have worn a bag over their heads...a feed bag!<br /><br />Michelle Obama was one of the most effective anti- terrorism tools every employed by the Obama administration. The Muslims jihadists took one look at that and decided they didn't want to come here after all.<br /><br />Obama, how's that Arab Spring you and Soros created working out now ?<br /><br />First Wookie Michele Obama wore a head scarf because she is ugly on the inside and outside<br /><br />Well........ at least President Donald J. didn't bow like Barry did....</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , sans-serif;">* Roosevelt met with King Abdelaziz (Salman's father) on the cruiser Quincy in the Suez canal, having boarded in Egypt after the flight from the Yalta conference. <a href="http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/daybyday/daylog/february-12th-1945/" target="_blank">Details here</a>. </span></span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-79330482479199934212017-05-14T10:36:00.002-04:002017-05-14T10:36:58.073-04:00Maj. Houlihan, call your office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfPKJ2RfAfw/WRhm_3v5wSI/AAAAAAAAIMk/Wi0URwVmyQkFRc8dRQgY91JnFtIGr1qywCLcB/s1600/bang.2017.0514.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfPKJ2RfAfw/WRhm_3v5wSI/AAAAAAAAIMk/Wi0URwVmyQkFRc8dRQgY91JnFtIGr1qywCLcB/s320/bang.2017.0514.png" width="210" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">It pains me to think that "<a href="http://headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/search?q=gets+shot" target="_blank">gets shot</a>" heds have been showing up here for nearly a dozen years now. Please stop. Think of the children.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">And while we're at it, dear friends downtown:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NwKCODvWOLg/WRho2a6ZTSI/AAAAAAAAIMw/EgsUxGLlU0csgqw9Y51XQ_dDuiw1Ae09wCLcB/s1600/freep.2017.0514.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NwKCODvWOLg/WRho2a6ZTSI/AAAAAAAAIMw/EgsUxGLlU0csgqw9Y51XQ_dDuiw1Ae09wCLcB/s400/freep.2017.0514.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">If your first response is "then why is he running?" -- congratulations, I think. I'm not sure how we got that particular hed out of <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/news/2017/05/14/michigan-governors-race/318239001/" target="_blank">this</a>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">... The reality show we’ve been watching — "Celebrity Apprentice: White House Battle” — requires the attention of all Democrats and Independents in Washington.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">“I’ve got to stay and fight,” he said. “After (Trump) was elected, I knew it would change the way I looked at my job. I knew that it would potentially interfere with (a gubernatorial run). But what he represents beyond ideology is the lack of respect he has for democratic institutions like an independent judiciary and a free and independent media. He represents such a threat that it changed my thinking.”</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Where does that leave Michigan? Stories about the governor’s race were ready to write themselves: Kildee and Flint versus any and every GOP leader currently in office who watched and did nothing while Flint residents drank and bathed in lead-tainted water for years.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Years.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">But here’s the thing: The governor’s race still should be about Flint. Not just Flint. From now on, anyone seeking to represent any town, city, state or nation must know that they will not be allowed to ignore constituents just because they aren't rich or CEOs.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">... but I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. On general, if you talk about what people are doing, rather than what they're not doing, you'll find it easier to write a hed that's understood first thing in the morning.</span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-83363966984615812562017-05-14T09:58:00.000-04:002017-05-14T09:58:06.421-04:00Knights in white satin<span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">How are things in popular culture today, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/13/pageoneplus/corrections-may-14-2017.html?ref=corrections&amp;_r=0" target="_blank">Nation's Newspaper of Record</a>?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">An article last Sunday about different film stars’ audition experiences misspelled part of the title of the coming “Transformers” film. <u>It is “Transformers: The Last Knight,” not “The Last Night.”</u></span></i><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Yes, but what about the kind that has books in it?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Because of a transcription error, an article on April 30 about a new Netflix series based on “Anne of Green Gables” included an incorrect word in dialogue from the series. The character Anne Shirley says, “Shouldn’t we hold hands over a running stream and pledge ourselves to each other as Cuthberts forever, or prick our fingers and mingle our blood as a symbol of our lasting devotion?” <u>The character does not say “break our fingers.”</u></span></i>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-75431519696507540202017-05-06T21:32:00.002-04:002017-05-06T21:32:47.501-04:00The name's Mistakenly. Troops Mistakenly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lUXBChvGsdo/WQvj-0UgbFI/AAAAAAAAIMA/QneZuSpFJLcPc4mMhEgiCyIfaiURlyttACLcB/s1600/beeb.quotes.2017.0504.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lUXBChvGsdo/WQvj-0UgbFI/AAAAAAAAIMA/QneZuSpFJLcPc4mMhEgiCyIfaiURlyttACLcB/s400/beeb.quotes.2017.0504.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Your assignment: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39799961" target="_blank">Write the hed.</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /><i>Somalia's security forces have shot dead a 31-year-old government minister after mistaking him for a militant Islamist, officials have said.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">If you haven't seen it yet, here's the authoritative <a href="https://tenminutespastdeadline.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ten Minutes Past Deadline</a> on the nature and function of the claim quote: "Not an actual quote, but an allegation in reported speech placed within quotation marks to signal its contested&nbsp;nature." In my optimistic moments, having learned how to order OK at the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/1173099079" target="_blank">neighborhood</a> <a href="http://theprince-edward.co.uk/about/" target="_blank">pubs</a>, I'd like to think that I could turn out a few claim-quote heds that would pass for the real thing. And then I run across something "'Troops mistakenly' kill .." and realize how far I am from fluency.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">I could see "mistakenly kill" as the contested allegation, but I can't see how "troops" is suspect in a way that "minister" wouldn't be. British friends, help: Is this one in bounds?</span><br /><br /><br /><br />fevnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-69170067378911497602017-04-27T23:22:00.001-04:002017-04-27T23:22:15.129-04:00Moulin rogue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jkiqDnn8ok/WQKhJIgXNRI/AAAAAAAAILw/dLBZYfAWc6wU0thmwcTZ4N7T6T_CNANNgCLcB/s1600/fox.war.2017.0427.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jkiqDnn8ok/WQKhJIgXNRI/AAAAAAAAILw/dLBZYfAWc6wU0thmwcTZ4N7T6T_CNANNgCLcB/s400/fox.war.2017.0427.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">How are things going with <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/27/fox-news-poll-53-percent-favor-military-action-to-stop-north-korea-nukes-program.html" target="_blank">that agenda-setting function of mass media</a> today, Fair 'n' Balanced Network?&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">It will take military force to stop North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, a majority of voters believe -- and they tend to favor the U.S. taking that action.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">&nbsp;</span></i> <br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">That’s according to the latest national Fox News Poll of registered voters.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Fifty-one percent say that U.S. military action will be required to keep <u>the rouge nation</u> from continuing its nuclear weapons program, while 36 percent think diplomacy alone can stop it.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>By a 53-39 percent margin, voters favor the U.S. using military force to keep North Korea from making further advancements on nukes.&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">The spelling isn't even the most interesting thing here. There's Fox's skills at question design:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"></span><br /><a name='more'></a><i><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 10pt 4pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: 0.04pt; top: 13.4pt; width: 454.3pt; word-spacing: 0.04pt;">37.<span style="width: 1.75em;">&nbsp;</span>Do you think North Korea can be stopped from continuing work on nuclear weapons and </span><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 46pt 11pt 46pt; height: 10.6pt; top: 26.9pt; width: 383.7pt; word-spacing: -0.04pt;">missiles through diplomacy alone, or will it take U.S. military force to stop North </span><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 10pt 17pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; width: 167.6pt;">Korea’s work on nuclear weapons?</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Aside from the disappearing missiles, this doesn't seem like a very good case for a binary choice. And the preceding question is a triumph of cluelessness:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /><i><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 10pt 11pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: 0.04pt; top: 13.4pt; width: 343.6pt; word-spacing: -0.08pt;">36.<span style="width: 1.75em;">&nbsp;</span>Which of the following positions on Syria is closer to your own? </span><br /><span class="tx f147" style="border-width: 0pt 0 4pt 11pt; height: 10.5pt; width: 45.7pt;">SCALE:* </span><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 17pt 4pt 0; height: 10.6pt; left: 55.7pt; width: 362pt; word-spacing: 0.1pt;">1. The U.S. should be more involved in Syria because there’s a humanitarian </span><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 10pt 4pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: 0.04pt; top: 13.4pt; width: 414.9pt; word-spacing: -0.08pt;">crisis there and because it is a strategically important country &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. The U.S. should NOT </span><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 21pt 4pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; top: 26.9pt; width: 403.7pt; word-spacing: -0.02pt;">do more in Syria because it’s a civil war that’s a no-win situation for the U.S., and we </span><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 45pt 4pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: 0.04pt; top: 40.3pt; width: 379.8pt; word-spacing: -0.08pt;">could actually end up helping anti-American extremist groups &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. (Don’t know)</span></i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 45pt 4pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: 0.04pt; top: 40.3pt; width: 379.8pt; word-spacing: -0.08pt;">Kind of a shame, because unless the same conditions were dogpiled the same way in September 2013, there's no way of telling for sure whether what looks like a significant increase in support for "more involved" -- 26% to 41% -- is even a response to the same question.* Though it does suggest a bit about why Fox does the "</span><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 10pt 11pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: -0.02pt; top: 13.4pt; width: 414.3pt; word-spacing: -0.02pt;">greatest immediate threat to the United States" question as a forced choice. Back to the text:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 10pt 11pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: -0.02pt; top: 13.4pt; width: 414.3pt; word-spacing: -0.02pt;"><br /></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">North Korea is seen as the greatest immediate threat to the United States. &nbsp;Some 38 percent feel that way, while 25 percent think ISIS is the biggest threat and 18 percent say Russia.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"> Five percent think China poses the biggest risk <u>and just four percent say Iran</u>.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Sounds like somebody needs to get to work on the Iran thing! Which is odd, because Fox did the "most important problem" thingy as a forced choice too, and the results are apparently way too cool to include in a story about why we need to have us a war with North Korea. "The economy and jobs" is at the top (22%), followed by health care (13%) and terrorism (12%), but climate change is at the top of a pack of issues roughly tied for fourth. That one had to be hard to explain in the budget meeting. Better have a war first.</span><br /><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 10pt 11pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; width: 8.8pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 45pt 4pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: 0.04pt; top: 40.3pt; width: 379.8pt; word-spacing: -0.08pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">&nbsp;* No, it isn't</span></span></span><br /><span class="tx" style="border-width: 0 45pt 4pt 11pt; height: 10.6pt; letter-spacing: 0.04pt; top: 40.3pt; width: 379.8pt; word-spacing: -0.08pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Though the increase in support for the Iran nuclear deal looks like a pretty stable bet.</span></span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10642785.post-6250349701694562932017-04-27T21:42:00.002-04:002017-04-27T21:42:38.578-04:00Today in FRAMING!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-53PVrHxJB8o/WQJoOLPDJOI/AAAAAAAAILU/Ci-tk2OUWGIasUOkCHJAs0CDqqVmr-JbgCLcB/s1600/drudge.2017.0427.3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-53PVrHxJB8o/WQJoOLPDJOI/AAAAAAAAILU/Ci-tk2OUWGIasUOkCHJAs0CDqqVmr-JbgCLcB/s400/drudge.2017.0427.3.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">It's a truism of the sports pages that your SMASHES is my EDGES, and the Wall Street Journal bears that out in <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/stock-markets-broadly-down-1493261591" target="_blank">the link* that STOCKS SMASH RECORDS takes you to</a>:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rGdRNwS90pI/WQJqWR1HG_I/AAAAAAAAILg/5ADsPtJZd8kMqcD6TY2GRdKYgcKL74lmgCLcB/s1600/wsj.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="36" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rGdRNwS90pI/WQJqWR1HG_I/AAAAAAAAILg/5ADsPtJZd8kMqcD6TY2GRdKYgcKL74lmgCLcB/s400/wsj.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">U.S. stock indexes edged higher as gains in shares of technology companies offset losses in the energy sector.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Stocks have generally risen in recent sessions, buoyed by corporate-earnings reports pointing to health in U.S. companies.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">So -- where are the records?</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">... The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 6.24 points, or less than 0.1%, to 20981.33 on Thursday. The S&amp;P 500 rose 1.32 point, or less than 0.1%, to 2388.77 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 23.71 points, or 0.4%, to 6048.94, <u>hitting a fresh closing high</u>.&nbsp;</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">In the object-free world of Drudge syntax, BEATS! means "exceeded expectations." Or "Happy Days are Here Again," or something like that. Anyway, one out of three ain't bad. But the real point seems to be that we all know who(m) we have to thank for all the smashing and beating.** That might be interesting once GDP decides to start obeying the business cycle again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">* <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, the link that says wsj.com/articles/<b>stock-markets-broadly-down</b>-1493261591, if you're scoring along at home.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Though perhaps not for <a href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=NYT" target="_blank">the 10.15% year-to-date increase</a> in the Class A stock of the failing New York Times.</span></span></span>fevnoreply@blogger.com0